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22.05.21 14:29
CNF19M, the second LNG-powered, 200-metre train ferry for the Baltic Sea, is launched



On May 22, 2021 Kuzey Star (director Imral Tuncay) in cooperation with Nevsky Shipyard (general director Evgeny Kuznetsov) launched the second CNF19M train ferry "General Chernyakhovsky" (building number 192) for Ust Luga - Baltiysk line with arctic category ARC4 for year-round operation on the line without icebreaker escort.
 
The customer and operator of the CNF19M project ferries is Rosmorport.
 
The concept, technical design and project documentation for the CNF19M project vessel was developed by the Marine Engineering Bureau. Research on the concept of a cargo ferry for the Ust-Luga - Baltiysk line of CNF19M project has been done by the Marine Engineering Bureau since 2014.
 
Together with the lead vessel in the CNF19M series, the "Marshal Rokossovsky", these are the largest vessels to have been launched in the history of Turkey's shipyards.
 
The CNF19M project railway ferry "General Chernyakhovsky", 200 metres long, is of Arc4 ice class.
 
The two dual-fuel 6,000 kW main engines are powered by liquefied natural gas or low-sulphur diesel.
 
The use of environmentally clean fuel will reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by 20-30%, nitrogen oxides by over 90%, and sulphur oxides and soot by 100% compared to similar vessels using traditional heavy fuel. At the same time, LNG will provide not only vessel propulsion, but also the operation of the vessel's power plant (via shaft generators of 2.400 eW each).
 
The new CNF19M project ferries are designed to join the fairly old CNF05 "Baltiysk" and "Ambal" ferries currently on the line.
 
For reference: Train ferry "Baltiysk" was modified according to CNF05 project of Marine Engineering Bureau by "Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven GmbH" shipyard, Bremerhaven, FRG for "Rosmorport" (was put into operation on July 14, 2006). The ferry began its first commercial voyage from the port of Ust-Luga to the port of Baltiysk on 7 September 2006.
 
In 2014, by order of the Federal Agency of Maritime and River Transport of Russia, the Marine Engineering Bureau, within the framework of the Federal Target Program "Development of Civil Marine Engineering for 2009-2016" (the state customer - the program coordinator - the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation), created the CNF19 project train ferry to operate on the Ust-Luga - Baltiysk - Sassnitz - Mukran line. With the maximum possible characteristics and dimensions, allowing year-round transportation of cargo, including dangerous goods.
 
After 2014, optimisation of the concept took place: at the suggestion of Russian Railways, shortening the round-trip time by reducing the port mooring time (reducing loading time by eliminating carriage movements by freight lift - the number of rail freight decks was reduced from three to one), improvement of outlines with transition from bulbous to optimized "axe" type in fore end, providing transportation of vehicles on upper deck, moving wheelhouse and accommodation to fore end, working on LNG operation of the ferry, that finally led to CNF19M project conception.
 
The hull lines of the CNF19M project were highly demanding:
 
1. Increased speed performance (relatively low overall fullness factor, sharp waterline angles at the bow);
 
2. The hull form had to comply with the requirements for vessels of high ice class Arc4 (the angles of inclination of the SW, the bows at SW, the SW on the bow perpendicular, the bow forward at SW level are regulated);
 
3. The cargo main deck was designed to accommodate a maximum number of wagons (wide roundness at the bow).
 
Optimisation of the hull shape and further numerical modelling of the basin tests has significantly improved hull shape and reduced fuel consumption, including through a rational approach to speed selection and line organisation.
 
The new concept, however, is a purely cargo carrier - unlike its predecessors - without a passenger transport function.
 
Given that on the Ust-Luga-Baltiysk line the passenger function is subsidised and that passenger requirements significantly affect the overall layout and design of the vessel as well as its speed and capacity, and thereby markedly reduce wagon capacity and increase the cost of freight transport, the customer's decision to make the new concept a purely freight project made this project pay for itself.
 
As a result, the CNF19M concept is now a 200m long, automotive-railway gas-ferry ferry of Arc4 ice category with an enclosed cargo deck for wagons and an open upper deck for car-trailers and vehicles, a forward arrangement of the living space and aft engine room, with a twin-screw propulsion system, a stern thruster, and two bow thrusters, with the placement of gas tanks in the hold in the middle part at a safe distance from the superstructure and engine room, with a double bottom and double sides, with the possibility of bunkering with gas simultaneously from four road trains with the help of a vessel buster module as well as from a bunkering vessel and from a coastal LNG bunker base.
 
The vessel is designed to carry Russian standard rail trains with a gauge of 1520 mm, as well as other rolling stock, including dangerous goods, up to 30 reefers (20 ft).
 
The upper deck (superstructure roof) is designed to carry cargo trailers. Wheeled equipment is loaded onto the main deck from both ferry complex bridges and detachable shore side Ro-Ro bridges. Wheeled machinery is loaded onto the upper deck from the main deck via an internal ramp.
 
In order to connect the CNF19M project ferry with the ferry span of the shore ferry complex there is a ledge in the aft part of the main deck, on which special bridge supports are installed. The experience of building and operation of the ferry "Baltiysk" of CNF05 project was widely used in working out this question.
 
Cargo-carrying capacity of the vessel by rail trains (placed on one deck):
 
• T-1 size rail tankers with a length of 12020 mm between couplers (4 axles) - 80 units;
• T-1 size open half wagons with a length of 17670 mm between couplers (4-axle) - 54 units;
• T-1 size freight wagons with a length of 24620 mm between couplers (4 axles) - 36 units.
 
Cargo-carrying capacity of the vessel by vehicle:
 
• semi-trailer truck 12-13.5 m long (road train 16.5 m) on the main deck (not carrying rail trains) - 58 units;
• cargo trailer up to 13.5 m long on the upper deck - 40 units.
 
The main characteristics of the CNF19M project:
 
Length overall - 199.90 m;
Length on SWL- 196.62 m;
Breadth overall - 27.40 m;
Depth to the main deck - 8.60 m;
Depth to the upper deck - 14.70 m;
Draught at SWL - 6.00 m;
Deadweight at SWL draught (about) - 11057 t;
ME power - 2 x 6000 kW;
Operating speed - 16.5 knots;
Crew/passengers - 24 persons /12;
The length of the rail tracks (6 tracks) is 970 m;
The total length of the upper deck (superstructure roof) carriageways is 400 m;
Fuel autonomy - 10 days;
 
Class RS - KM Arc4 AUT1-ICS OMBO ECO GFS Ro-ro ship.
 
The vessel provides accommodation for the crew: 3 single block cabins for the captain, chief officer and chief engineer; 21 single cabins with sanitary facilities for officers and enlisted personnel. For accommodation of 12 passengers there are 2 four-bed cabins and 2 double cabins with bathrooms. The total number of places on board is 36.
 
The main deck is designed to carry rail tankers and wagons (up to 94 tonnes) with an axle load of 23.5 tonnes on all tracks.
 
Permissible wheel load per axle on main deck and in the area of 62-180 frames on upper deck: 4 wheels per axle - 12 tonnes; 2 wheels per axle - 10 tonnes.
 
Two controllable pitch propellers and semi-suspended semi-balanced rudders are fitted aft to give the vessel specification speed and steerability.
 
To improve controllability at slow speeds, when passing narrow passages and when mooring, the vessel is provided with 2 bow thrusters of 1000 kW capacity each and one stern thruster of "propeller-in-tube" type with fixed pitch propeller of 1000 kW capacity.
 
Lifeboats with a capacity of 36 people each are installed on the bow of the vessel on both sides of the port and starboard side.
 
The power plant consists of:
 
• the main unit, consisting of two diesel engines with a maximum continuous output of 6.000 kW each;
• an auxiliary plant consisting of two main diesel generators with an electrical capacity of 1.222 eW each, two shaft generators with an electrical capacity of 2.400 eW each and an emergency diesel generator with an electrical capacity of 400 eW.
 
The keel of the lead ferry "Marshal Rokossovsky" (construction number 191) of the CNF19M project was laid down at Nevsky Shipyard on 17 October 2018 and launched on 21 August 2020.
The keel of the second ferry "General Chernyakhovsky" (construction number 192) was laid down at Nevsky Shipyard on 23 April 2019 and launched on 22 May 2021.